Reality Bites
by Jo March
Summary: Umm...Alternate Sunnydale, lots of confusion, blah blah blah. This is only the first part. R&R, pleeze!


The night was hungry. The atmosphere was sharp and fear haunted every corner. Willow shivered and pulled her jacket closer against her arms. Now, standing outside of the Bronze, herself, Buffy and Xander watched the area closely. Even though she could feel the evil, tonight had been unusually calm. In fact, the whole week had been unusually calm.  
  
`Um, guys? Maybe we should just call it a night, I mean I don't think the spooks are gonna show now.' She said to her two friends. Buffy nodded in agreement. Tonight had been a total waste of time but Buffy was used to it. After all she was the Slayer, The chosen one. Yada, yada, yada. She placed her stake neatly into the belt loop of her jeans and wiped her hands.  
  
`So, you wanna hang at the Bronze?' Buffy asked. Willow and Xander looked at each other and shook their heads.  
  
`I think I better get back, mom has a close eye on me. If I'm even half a second late then, well, she wouldn't be happy.' Xander waved bye to the two girls and hurried off down the dark alley. Willow turned back to Buffy who was already entering the back door of the club.  
  
`And I have to get back home. I have some important studying to do for tomorrow.'  
  
`You two sure you're okay walking back by yourselves?' Buffy asked, raising her eyebrows. Willow nodded, said goodbye and starting walking in the same direction as Xander. Halfway down the alley, Willow stopped and turned. She thought she could hear footsteps behind her.  
  
`Stop it, Rosenberg,' She whispered to herself. `There's no one there.' She picked up her pace and carried on back home.  
  
It watched as she talked and laughed with her friends, it watched her as she said goodbye and left and it watched her now. The shadows were quiet and the only sound it could hear was the sound of it's own heart beating. The creature stepped away from the shadows and into the darkness of the street. Up ahead in the distance, it could see the girl, the scared, the tired, the hurt young girl. It wanted to be so close to her, close enough to smell her fear. But it stayed back and waited until she turned to corner, then it began to chase.  
  
The wind spiralled around Willow. She felt uneasy and it wasn't just because she lived on the Hellmouth, the centre of mystical energy. In other words, the Boca del Infierno to the ancient Spanish settlers but to citizens of the town, Sunnydale. She had lived here all of her life but now something was scaring her. She glanced around behind her and started to run. She heard footsteps behind her again and stopped hoping it was Buffy. It wasn't. Someone or something was behind her. She spun round again to come face to face with Buffy.  
  
`I thought it was you.' Willow gasped in a sigh of relief.  
  
`Run.' She shouted just before something hit her in the face. Willow stood frozen to the spot. The creature was scaly; it's skin thick and oily. His nose was sort of upturned, blackened as though covered in soot. The thing was huge, nearly twice as tall as Buffy and herself. It's horns protruded from his grey skull. Willow noticed the smell most. It was a musty, earthy smell, making Willow feel nauseous.  
  
Buffy stood up straight and rubbed at her chin. `That was totally uncalled for.' She said before charging into to him at such speed that it slammed him into the wall. It reached out and Willow heard a crack as its fist met Buffy's chin.  
  
`And that.'  
  
Willow stood silent for a moment until she ran over to a large piece of wood sticking out of a fence. She pulled it and it came off quite easily. So Buffy was the Slayer but Willow had learned some things since meeting her. She had learned not to be so afraid.  
  
`Hey, ugly, you wanna piece of me?' She shouted and waved the wood in the air. The creature turned away from Buffy and focused on Willow. It took a short step and threw itself into the air towards her. Willow swung the wood up in the air smacked the creature in the stomach. It screamed as green goo bubbled up from the wound.  
  
`I'm sorry.' Willow cried as it tried again, only this time Buffy intersected and kicked it in the face.  
  
`She said she was sorry.' The thing fell back in defeat.  
  
`Slayer...your...gonna...die.' It managed to say. Buffy aimed for the head but hit the brick wall instead. She rolled her eyes.  
  
`They always say that.'  
  
The creature rolled out of the way, jumped up and ran back into the darkness. It disappeared just as Buffy got up.  
  
`Wow,' Buffy said as she helped Willow up from the ground. `That was weird.'  
  
`Tall, grey and ugly? Well, Buffy, you'll have to be more specific, I'm afraid. Most demons are tall, grey and ugly.' Giles closed his book and leant against the huge oak table that Buffy and her friends were sitting around in the library. Rupert Giles, Buffy's watcher and school librarian took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose.  
  
`Does this mean we do the research thing again? Yawn!' Xander said. Giles scowled at him and he added. `Because it's just so fun and interesting.'  
  
`No, we don't have time now but if everyone can meet back here after school, we might be able to find something then.' Giles said.  
  
`Sorry but I have better things to do with my time then sit around reading a bunch of stupid books.' Cordelia Chase announced. Cordelia, not being the most tactful person, continually surprised everyone. When Buffy and co were in trouble, despite moaning, she was ready to fight if not always directly.  
  
`It had green blood.' Willow said, ignoring Xander and Cordelia's comments. Xander was her best friend, they had known each other almost all of their lives and in that time she had also learned to ignore him. She had remembered everything about last night. She just couldn't get rid of the picture in her mind. As Buffy had said, it was ugly.  
  
`Giles, we've already told you what it looked like, what it smelled like et cetera. We can't think of anything else to tell you.' Buffy sighed and sunk back into her chair. Today her Watcher was, as far as Buffy could tell, quite stressed. He had pressed her for information and she had told him all she knew but he still kept asking. Giles opened his mouth as if to say something but the high pitched ringing of the school bell cut him short. Buffy, Willow, Oz, Xander and Cordelia picked up their bags and headed off to class. But before Buffy left the library Giles stopped her.  
  
`Buffy, may I have a word?' He said. She stopped and turned slowly.  
  
`What's up?'  
  
`What's up is that this demon or creature is roaming the streets and I'm not sure that you are too concerned.'  
  
Buffy sighed again. `I'm sorry Giles, but I think this is just another demon to slay. I'm not going to spend the whole of the week getting worried over it. You know the routine. You read, I kill.'  
  
Giles seemed a little distracted. `Yes, I read.'  
  
`Good, glad we got that clear.' Then she was gone. Buffy raced out of the library and out to her friends.  
  
Giles walked into his small office and sat down on the wooden chair that was next to his desk. He took his glasses off and placed them next to him. This demon sounds familiar, he thought to himself as he flicked through his fathers Watchers journal, just in case. He began reading and after a few moments he felt his eyes droop. His wristwatch told him it was only one thirty. I'll just have a little nap. The next thing he knew, Buffy and her friends were back.   
  
`Why am I here with you?' He heard Cordelia ask in her normal bitter tone.  
  
`Well you're not exactly my first choice of person to hang with but sadly, Claudia Schiffer already had plans.' Xander snapped back. Giles opened his eyes, straightened his shirt and put his glasses back on. Buffy sat at the head of the table, Oz and Willow sat together holding hands and Xander and Cordelia sat opposite.  
  
`Giles?' Buffy called from the main room.  
  
`Umm, coming.' He replied. Giles composed himself and went out to greet them.  
  
`Have you come up with anything?' Willow asked. She opened a book and flicked through it. She sighed with annoyance and closed the book.  
  
`Well, not really.' Giles mumbled, rubbing his eyes.  
  
`Me and Angel will patrol, Willow and Oz can research and Xander and Cordy can...can...just do...something. Okay?' Buffy stood up and stretched and headed for the door. `Mom wants me home early. See ya later.'  
  
`Sorry, Will, got Dingo practice tonight, can't make it.' Oz kissed Willows cheek and followed Buffy to the door. Xander and Cordy got up, heading the same way. The all left leaving Giles alone in his office.  
  
That evening Willow sat alone on her bed. Xander was out with Cordelia, Oz was rehearsing with the Dingoes and Buffy was out patrolling. Willow logged on to her laptop and found a demon website. She typed in the height, colour and features of the monster and waited a few seconds before the computer bleeped. Nothing was found. She tried another site but again, nothing matched up. She shut down the computer and pulled on her jacket. She was off to find Giles.  
  
The moon had disappeared by the time Willow reached his house and she wondered if he was still up. She tapped on the door lightly at first then a bit harder. Giles pulled it open and looked puzzled to see her standing there.  
  
`Willow, what a surprise. Does your mother...?'  
  
`No. Giles, I need to speak to you. Can I come in?' She spoke quickly and looked quite worried.  
  
`Erm, yes, do. Willow, is something wrong?' Willow sat down on the couch, Giles followed. `Can I offer you anything? Tea maybe?'  
  
`No thanks. Have you found anything on that thing me and Buffy met last night? It's just bugging me.'  
  
`Well I have been searching but none of my books seem to have anything. I've tried telephoning the Council but nobody seems to be answering. Have you found anything?' Giles seemed quite concerned. She shook her head.  
  
`I looked on the Net but the sites that I've tested come up with the same as you. Nothing.'  
  
Giles pulled a large, brown book from his bookshelf and blew the dust from it. `I have to say, Willow, that I'm quite concerned about this. Buffy has never mentioned anything about a demon like this before.'  
  
`I don't think she's fought a demon like that before,' Willow said. Giles flicked through the pages of the book before replacing it back on the shelf. `Do you need any help?'  
  
He nodded. `Yes please.'  
  
Willow grabbed a small black book and opened it. She started to read faster than she had ever read before.  
  
`It was kinda creepy. Not like many others that I've seen.' Buffy sat down on a headstone next to Angel. It was pitch black tonight and the moon had disappeared behind the clouds, which cast an eerie glow of light. Buffy was out patrolling Shady Hill cemetery. She had waited for the vamps but at the moment none had shown. Buffy was still confused. That thing had just appeared out of nowhere, for no reason. `And it didn't even leave a cryptic message like all of the others. Normally I get stuff like `the end of the world is near' or `your gonna be cut up into teeny little pieces' I only got a `your gonna die'.'  
  
`That's bad?' Angel smiled and pulled her close.  
  
`It's a little unoriginal.' She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart not beating.  
  
`I don't do unoriginal.' He said. He pulled her face towards him and kissed her slowly on the lips. Angel was the perfect man, everything she had wanted. Apart from the being dead thing. Buffy loved him so much but she knew they could never be together. She was seventeen years old and he was 247. She knew they would never have a future together, she would die, watch her friends and family die. Buffy snaked her arms up around his neck but suddenly she pulled away.  
  
`What was that?' She asked, standing up. She pulled out Mr Pointy and held it up high in front of her.  
  
`What was what?' Angel was right behind her. Buffy moved slowly towards a large bush, which covered most of the entrance to a stone mausoleum.  
  
`That noise. I'm sure I heard a noise coming from this bush.' Buffy pulled back the branches, expecting something to jump out and attack her but nothing did. She let her hand drop to her waist and the stake fall to the ground. Just as she heard the CLANK of the wood hitting the stone, a vampire jumped from behind. Buffy dived to the ground, grabbed the stake and plunged it into the heart of the undead. It screamed and became a pile of dust. Buffy bent down to pick up her stake when she noticed something gleaming in the corner of her eye. She pushed away the leaves from the bush to find a small silver ring with a jewel incrusted in  
  
the centre. Angel picked up the ring and examined it carefully.  
  
`It looks like an emerald,' He told her. He turned it upside down to inspect it closer. `Buffy, take a look at this.' On the inside of the ring, was a small symbol. A triangle with a line running through the middle.  
  
`I think I've seen that symbol before.' Buffy said, feeling a little puzzled.  
  
`That's a symbol for the occult. Witches.. We should take it to Giles. Maybe he knows more about it.' Angel put the ring into his pocket and grabbed Buffy's hand.  
  
`Let's go find Giles.' He squeezed her hand and guided her through the maze of graves that occupied Shady Hill.  
  
Willow opened her eyes and for a moment she couldn't remember where she was. She blinked and sat up. The heavy book that lay across her chest fell to the floor and slammed shut. Across the room, Giles sat in the armchair, asleep. Willow got up quietly and tiptoed over to the door. She glanced back at Giles when Buffy and Angel came storming into the house.  
  
`Did you get anything?' Buffy asked loudly. Willow nodded her head towards Giles and Buffy placed her hand over her mouth. Willow heard a mumble and turned to Giles. He rubbed his eyes and got up.  
  
`Willow? Is that you?' He asked, yawning.  
  
`Yep. We must've fallen asleep.'  
  
Buffy, Angel and Willow watched Giles slowly walk over to his miniature kitchen and pour out what could've been Brandy. He downed it quickly and poured himself another one.  
  
`Is something up? You've seemed a little overly- Giles today.' Buffy asked.  
  
Giles sighed and sat back down on the armchair. He closed the book he was researching and dropped it onto the floor. It landed with a bump. This wasn't like him. He always told them to handle the books with care and here he was just dropping them about.  
  
`I've just been thinking,' He stopped to push his glasses up on his nose. `It will be a year tomorrow since...since...' Buffy didn't catch the last part.  
  
`Since what?'  
  
Giles glanced up at Angel and then turned away. `Since Jenny...passed away.'  
  
Willow smiled sadly at Angel. Jenny was a computer teacher at Sunnydale High. Willow highly respected her. She was in touch with the students, she was a `techno- pagan' and she knew about Buffy being the Slayer. She and Giles sort of dated too. That was, until, Angel experienced one true moment of happiness and he turned back into evil Angel, formerly known as Angelus. After that he went on a big nasty killing spree, joining forces with Spike to end the world. During all of that, he still had a few moments spare to kill Jenny and torture Giles. Willow was the one who restored Angel's soul.  
  
`Anyway. Lets continue with what we were doing shall we?'  
  
`We've search all night and nothing. I have a weird feeling about this. We normally find something, anything but this is just creepy,' Willow looked at the clock on the fireplace. It was almost midnight. `And you?'  
  
Buffy looked at Angel and he retrieved the ring from his pocket. He wiped the small silver band with his thumb and held it up to the light. The emeralds twinkled as he turned it over for Willow to see the inscription. `Giles, take a look at this.'  
  
`That's the symbol of the occult, of witches.' Giles said. He removed his glasses and squinted.  
  
`Angels words exactly.'  
  
`Willow yawned and took the ring from Angel. As she did, a small jolt of electricity ran through her fingers. `Oww,' She cried, dropping the ring. Willow touched the sore red welt that had just appeared on her finger and jumped again.  
  
`Willow, are you okay?' Giles asked. He fetched a small damp cloth and pressed it hard against the sore.  
  
`Yeah, I think. What was that?' She handed the cloth back to Giles and picked up the ring. `I better be going now. Before, you know, mom has a parental heart attack.'  
  
`Okay,' Buffy was about to say goodnight but stopped. `Will, I'm taking you home. We don't know if he's still around, but I'm not taking any chances.' Buffy walked outside into the garden. Angel followed her and he was followed by Willow.  
  
`I'm fine Buffy. I can take care of myself. Now, it's really late, I need some sleep.' Willow pushed open the metal gate that lead from Giles' apartment to the street but Buffy grabbed hold of her elbow.  
  
`Buffy, let go.' She shrugged Buffy away.  
  
`I think Buffy's right, Willow. It's still pretty dangerous out there, you know, erm, that's not including the vampires.'  
  
Willow stopped and sighed. She wasn't going to get home any quicker if she went on her own. Reluctantly, she began walking along with Buffy and Angel. Angel seemed strangely quiet tonight, Willow thought. Normally he had some say in what was going on but tonight he was kinda distant.  
  
`Probably feeling guilty.' She said, unknowingly to herself.  
  
`Did you say something Will?' Buffy asked.  
  
Willow shook her head. `Me, no, I'm just talking to myself. It's sort of a pastime.'  
  
Angel gave her a strange look. Babbling again, she scolded herself.  
  
When they reached Willows house, she opened the door and went inside. `Bye then.' She said.  
  
`Will,' Buffy paused. `Just be careful, okay? If anything happened to you then...goodnight.'  
  
Willow smiled back at Buffy and closed the door. Quietly, she crept into her bedroom and placed the ring on her bedside table. I'll leave that until the morning, She thought. She lay wide awake in bed, tossing and turning unable to sleep.  
  
`Buffy's always telling me what to do,' She whispered to herself. `She's not the boss of me.' She rolled over. `Just because she's the Slayer, just because she's stronger.'  
  
Willow yawned for the hundredth time and closed her eyes. `If I was the Slayer...' Then she was asleep.  
  
Willow woke early. She looked at her clock and groaned. It was only six thirty. Burying her head underneath the duvet, she recalled the weird dream she had last night. She was living in weird Sunnydale. All of her friends were there but she was the Slayer.  
  
`Me, the fighter of evil? No thanks.'  
  
Willow reluctantly got up out of bed and went downstairs. Her mother was already dressed and washing up a dish.  
  
`Hi mom.' Willow said as she sat down at the table.  
  
As usual, Mrs Rosenberg was in a rush. `Sorry honey, can't talk, have to go and get the groceries in. Tell Bunny I said hi.' She threw the dishcloth onto the sideboard and left the room.  
  
`Actually, its Buffy.'  
  
A minute later, Willow heard the sound of the front door close. There's never any time to talk to mom, Buffy doesn't know how lucky she is.  
  
At school, Willow looked for Buffy but couldn't find her anywhere. She looked for Xander, he was nowhere. After waiting nearly twenty minutes for Oz, she gave up and walked to the library. She had a strange feeling. Oz always waited for her. No matter what.  
  
Giles was sorting through a stack of books and looked surprised when Willow walked in.  
  
`Ah, Willow, I was hoping you'd be here, have you seen Buffy this morning?'  
  
She shook her head. `No, why, are you looking for her?'  
  
Giles took a sip from the mug of coffee he was holding. Something about him looked different. Was he wearing a new shirt?  
  
`I'll find her later, thank you Willow.' He got up and started to walk away but stopped and turned. `Come back here at lunch, I need you to do something for me.'  
  
Giles entered his office and closed the door behind him. Then it dawned on her. Giles was wearing jeans and a t-shirt! What was up with that picture?  
  
`Just a change of heart, I guess.' She mumbled.  
  
Willow sat down and looked around the library. Maybe the others were just joking around. But then, Oz is hardly the joking type. The bell rung and Willow ran off to class. 


End file.
